Demetrious Johnson Reveals Big Bucks From EA UFC Games, While 'Cover Curse' Strikes Again

Photo: Instagram/Demetrious Johnson

Former UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson has shared some surprising insights into the world of professional gaming. In a recent reveal on his official YouTube channel, Johnson disclosed that he's pocketed a hefty sum from his appearances in the EA Sports UFC video game series. The total? A cool $72,500. What's interesting is how this money comes rolling in: not as a flat fee for his likeness, but as a result of fans playing as him in the game, boosting his character's popularity and earning him a paycheck.

According to Johnson, the first check he received, a sweet $25,000, was a complete surprise. He described it as "free money just coming to me," and subsequent payments followed suit, including $12,500 for UFC 3 and $10,000 for being on the cover of UFC 3's Icon Edition. Even after parting ways with UFC to join ONE Championship, Johnson continued to rake in the dough, scoring another $25,000 for UFC 4.

But the gravy train doesn't stop there. Johnson hinted at more checks to come, as he hasn't received any revenue from the latest installment, UFC 5, yet. His message to fans? Keep using his character, keep the popularity up, and the checks will keep coming.

Photo: Instagram/Demetrious Johnson

While this windfall is undoubtedly a boon for Johnson, it's not all sunshine and rainbows for fighters featured on the game covers. Enter the "UFC Cover Curse." This spooky phenomenon suggests that fighters who grace the cover of an official UFC game are cursed to lose their next fight, often in spectacular fashion.

Examples abound: Alexander Gustafsson, Conor McGregor, Ronda Rousey, and more have all fallen victim to this eerie pattern. Even recent cover stars like Jorge Masvidal and Israel Adesanya have tasted defeat shortly after their game-covering glory.

The curse seems to linger even into the latest release, UFC 5, with Alexander Volkanovski losing just before the game's launch, and co-cover star Valentina Shevchenko dropping her title months prior.

Despite the curse looming over cover stars, Demetrious Johnson remains grateful for the unexpected windfall from the gaming world, proving that sometimes, virtual victories can lead to real-world rewards.

Read Next: Holmgren Endorses Gilgeous-Alexander For NBA MVP After Dominant Game 2

Source: Bloody Elbow 

Comments

Post a Comment

Trending Now

Travis Kelce’s Dad Reveals When He’ll See Taylor Swift Next

Image
Photo: Instagram/Travis Kelce Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce is back at training after a trip to Europe. His dad, Ed Kelce, shared that Travis won’t see Taylor Swift until her next break from her Eras Tour. Taylor is currently performing in Germany, Poland, Austria, and the UK. They won't have much time to be together until Taylor takes a break. Ed Kelce mentioned that Taylor is excited to return to Missouri to check on her home renovation project there. "Taylor's been having fun decorating his Kansas City place," Ed Kelce wrote on Facebook. "And she's looking forward to the simple joys of being together." Photo: InstagramTravis Kelce Swift's European tour will end with a show in London on August 20. She will then take a break before starting again on October 18 in Miami. By then, Kelce will be deep into the NFL season, aiming for another Super Bowl with the Chiefs. Swift and Kelce recently had a scare in Germany when a man was arrested for s
Read More

Caitlin Clark Explains Why She Chose Not To Sub In During WNBA All-Star Game

Image
Photo: Instagram/Caitlin Clark Fans were excited to watch Caitlin Clark in the WNBA All-Star Game. Clark is one of the most popular players in the league right now. However, some fans noticed she didn't play as much as expected. After the game, Clark explained her decision. In the postgame press conference, the Fever star said she declined coach Cheryl Miller's offer to sub her in. The reason? Clark didn't want to replace the on-fire Arike Ogunbowale. Photo: Instagram/Caitlin Clark Ogunbowale was having an amazing game, and Clark preferred to watch her teammate shine. Even with limited minutes, Clark still had a good game, scoring four points and making 10 assists. She was happy to support her talented teammates. Ogunbowale ended up winning the WNBA All-Star MVP with a record-breaking performance. caitlin said they tried to sub her in for arike and she said no, i’m good, let her do her thing 😭😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/3sQUF123pq — cc akgae (@clrkszn) July 21, 2024 The Da
Read More

Anthony Edwards' Dunk Over Kevin Durant at Olympic Practice Goes Viral

Image
Photo: Instagram/Anthony Edwards A stunning sports photo has taken over the internet and is sure to be remembered for a long time. Photographer Garrett W. Ellwood captured the iconic moment on Thursday before the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. During Team USA's practice, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, playing in his first Olympics, delivered a powerful dunk over Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant . Ellwood was in the perfect spot to snap the shot. Photo: Instagram/Anthony Edwards Durant joked about the photo on social media after seeing it. This isn’t the first time Edwards and Durant have had a viral moment. In April, during Game 1 of the Timberwolves-Suns playoff series, Edwards taunted Durant by jogging backward down the court. friendly fire. 👀 pic.twitter.com/QlhXdNi7U9 — Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) July 25, 2024 The Timberwolves won that game 120-95 and swept the Suns in four games. Durant, Edwards, and Team USA will start their Olympic journey on
Read More

Patrick Mahomes Criticizes Travis Kelce, Fans Wonder About Taylor Swift's Reaction

Image
Photo: Instagram/Patrick Mahomes The Kansas City Chiefs have started their training camp this week, bringing back quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce . Fans are excited to see the duo back on the field together. During the offseason, Kelce and his brother, Jason , took a short break from their popular podcast, "New Heights." The podcast's X (formerly Twitter) account shared a funny old video from 2015 of the Kelce brothers during an NFL Network interview. The clip showed Jason calling Travis and revealing Travis's ringtone, which the podcast jokingly called "the most annoying of all time." Mahomes confirmed that Kelce still uses the same ringtone. Photo: Instagram/Patrick Mahomes "That man still has that ringtone lol," Mahomes posted. His comment went viral, with the podcast's account adding, "Some things never change." As the Chiefs prepare for the new season, they aim to build on last year's success, which en
Read More

Mike Tyson Sends Strong Message To Jake Paul After Fight With Mike Perry

Image
Photo: Instagram/Mike Tyson Mike Tyson , also known as "Iron Mike," has made it clear he's ready for his upcoming fight against Jake Paul in November. This comes after Paul won a fight against Mike Perry on Saturday night. Paul won with a sixth-round stoppage. This fight had to be arranged because Tyson couldn't make it due to an ulcer flare-up during a flight to Los Angeles. Now, the Tyson vs. Paul fight is set for November 15 . Tyson recently posted a video of himself watching Paul’s fight on social media, along with a message: "The countdown begins. 118 days - 16 weeks and 6 days - 17 weekends - 2,832 hours - 169,920 minutes - 10,195,200 seconds. The clock starts now.  Photo: Instagram/Mike Tyson In his post-fight interview, Paul said his next fight will only be against Tyson. "I did put him down in the first round and he just survived it, but Mike Tyson! You're next, big boy. Sign the contract! November 15th on Netflix. I'm excited for that on
Read More

Francis Ngannou Reveals Issues In Fight Against Anthony Joshua And Announces Return Date

Image
Photo: Instagram/Francis Ngannou Over four months after his boxing match with Anthony Joshua , Francis Ngannou has shared his thoughts on the disappointing fight and provided an update on his return to combat sports. After his UFC contract ended, Ngannou signed with the PFL last year, becoming their top star without yet fighting for them. The PFL let Ngannou pursue his boxing dream, leading to a notable fight against Tyson Fury . Despite losing, Ngannou impressed and was set to face Anthony Joshua next. Following his strong showing against Fury, many had high hopes for Ngannou against Joshua. Unfortunately, the fight ended quickly with Ngannou knocked out in the second round. Ngannou later said something felt off before the fight. Photo: Instagram/Francis Ngannou “I got in the ring and wasn’t feeling myself," Ngannou said on the Joe Rogan Experience. "In the first round when he knocked me down, I wasn’t sure what hit me. By the time I got to my corner, my vision was blurry
Read More

Deontay Wilder's Trainer Gives Update After Retirement Talks

Image
Photo: Instagram/Deontay Wilder Deontay Wilder , the former world champion boxer, faced a tough defeat against Zhilei Zhang , losing in the fifth round. This loss, following another defeat to Joseph Parker, has led many to wonder if Wilder will retire. The back-to-back losses mean Wilder won't be fighting his long-time rival, Anthony Joshua , anytime soon and is now far from a title shot. Fans are questioning if Wilder still has the drive to continue boxing. Wilder was a dominant WBC Champion until he met Tyson Fury . Their trilogy ended with two big losses for Wilder, which some believe changed him. Photo: Instagram/Deontay Wilder Coach Malik Scott spoke to ES News about Wilder's current state. "He’s healing right now, recovering from some injuries. Getting his mind together, his mind right. He’s resting and enjoying life," said Scott. Opinions are divided on what Wilder should do next. Lennox Lewis , a former heavyweight champion, thinks he should retire, while Anth
Read More

U.S. Olympic Committee Sues Logan Paul's Drink Brand For Trademark Infringement

Image
Photo: Instagram/Logan Paul The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is suing Logan Paul ’s energy drink brand, Prime Hydration, for trademark infringement. This lawsuit comes just a week before the 2024 Paris Olympics. Filed in the District of Colorado, the lawsuit claims Prime Hydration used phrases like “OLYMPIC,” “TEAM USA,” and “GOING FOR GOLD” on its packaging and online ads without permission. One drink, made in partnership with NBA star Kevin Durant , was labeled as the “Team USA Kevin Durant Drink” and the “Kevin Durant Olympic Prime Drink.” The USOPC says Prime Hydration’s actions were intentional and harmed the committee’s reputation and financial support. The committee relies on licensing its trademarks to fund Team USA, as it doesn't receive federal money. Photo: Instagram/Logan Paul The lawsuit states that unlicensed use of these trademarks can mislead the public and allow a brand to profit unfairly. The USOPC asked Prime Hydration to stop using these tradema
Read More

Shohei Ohtani Honors His Wife As Favorite Female Athlete On Women's Night

Image
Photo: Instagram/Shohei Ohtani The Los Angeles Dodgers celebrated Women's Night during their home game against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. The evening kicked off with players naming their favorite female athletes, followed by special women in their lives picking walk-up songs for their at-bats. The Dodgers won the game 5-2. When players arrived at the stadium, they were asked to name their favorite female athletes. Many mentioned famous stars like tennis legend Serena Williams or WNBA player Caitlin Clark . Photo: Instagram/Shohei Ohtani However, Shohei Ohtani had a perfect and heartfelt answer. Without hesitation, he named his wife, Mamiko Tanaka , who played professional basketball in Japan for four years before retiring last year. Here's Ohtani giving his answer: Shohei understood the assignment pic.twitter.com/kL6rE6b5PG — Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 24, 2024 Here's the full video with other Dodgers players sharing their choices: View this po
Read More

Ryan Garcia Told To Stick To Boxing After Challenging LeBron James

Image
Photo: Instagram/Ryan Garcia Ryan Garcia , currently serving a one-year ban from boxing, is exploring new sports during his suspension. However, fans were quick to mock him after he challenged basketball superstar LeBron James on social media. Garcia, who was suspended due to repeated positive doping tests following his fight with Devin Haney in April 2024, posted a video on Instagram showing his attempt at playing basketball. He tagged LeBron James, saying, "Let's go @kingjames I'm ready." The reaction was swift and unforgiving. One user commented, "Wow, rehab looks like a basketball court. That's weird," referring to Garcia's supposed time in rehab. Another simply said, "Just stick to boxing bro." Others joked about his conspiracy theories and mocked his basketball skills. Photo: Instagram/Ryan Garcia Garcia had promised to attend rehab after making offensive comments about black people and the Muslim community. His choice of the Cryp
Read More